Forests And Woodlands Resource Management (15.233)

Program

15.233 Forests And Woodlands Resource Management

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of the Interior
Office: Bureau of Land Management

Authorization

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5; Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1737,(b), Public Law 94-579, as amended; and Stewardship End Result Contracting Projects, 16 U.S.C. 2104, Public Law 108-7, Consolidated Appropriation Resolution, 2003, Division F, Title III, Section 323 as amended Public Law 105-277, Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, Division A, Section 101(e), Title III, Section 347, as amended Public Law 106-113, Making Consolidated Appropriations For the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2000, and For Other Purposes, Division B, Section 1000(a)(3), Title III, Section 341 and Public Law 107-63, Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, Title III, Section 332.

Program Number

15.233

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide financial assistance, through grants or cooperative agreements, to public or private organizations for the improvement of forests on public lands. Improvements will include the maintenance of forest health, forest regeneration, restoration, rehabilitation, insect and disease control, forest development, implementation of stewardship projects and providing for biomass utilization of public lands. For Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded projects additional objectives include: To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; to assist those most impacted by the recession; to provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and to stabilize State and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases.

Types of Assistance

ADVISORY SERVICES AND COUNSELING; Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants); TRAINING

Uses and Use Restrictions

Projects are limited to forestry projects on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management located mostly in the Western United States and Alaska.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Anyone/General public.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Anyone/General public.

Credentials/Documentation

No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

For more information and local requirements, cooperative forestry project proposals should be coordinated with Bureau of Land Management local State or District Office. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. A Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs, Standard Form 424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs, and a written proposal should be submitted through Grants.gov or via hardcopy to the project office and include: a title, objectives, timeframe, and a budget breakdown as specified in the funding opportunity announcement. No State plan is required with this application.

Award Procedure

Projects are reviewed at the Bureau of Land Management State and District Office level and funding recommendations are made through the State's annual work plan. Final budget approvals rest with the State Director.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Award time varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes. Further information will be available for each project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the point of contact listed in the funding opportunity announcement.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching Requirements: This program has no statutory formula requirements. However, matching funds are encouraged by the applicants and those projects are more likely to be funded.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

No specific restrictions for most projects, however, most projects are awarded for a five year period and funded on a year-by-year basis and funds are expended during a particular fiscal year. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: This is information is not available.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program reports are not applicable. No cash reports are required. Recipients are required to submit quarterly, semi-annual, or annual performance reports 30 days following the reporting period. Final reports are due after the end date of grant performance. Projects funded under the American Recovery Act of 2009 will have additional reporting requirements as described in the announcement packages at www.grants.gov and the DOI Recovery Act website at http://recovery.doi.gov. Recipients are required to submit quarterly financial status reports using Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report. Interim reports are due 30 days after the end of the reporting period and final reports are due 90 days after the end of the grant period. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

State, local and Indian Tribal governments shall maintain project records in accordance with 43 CFR 12.82. All other recipients shall maintain project records in accordance with 43 CFR 12.953.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: BLM continues to maintain and expand partnerships to include funding for continued support of collaborative efforts to build community capacity and support for ecological restoration efforts in forest and woodlands. The public and BLM benefit from its support with partners in heightening public understanding of the social and economic, as well as environmental, aspects of ecosystem restoration and maintenance. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

14-1109-0-1-302.

Obligations

(Cooperative Agreements) FY 08 $319,000; FY 09 est $360,000; FY 10 est $400,000. (Cooperative Agreements) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $400,000; FY 10 est $300,000 - Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds TAFS: 14-09/10-1108-0-1-302.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No Data Available.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Not Applicable.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices.

Headquarters Office

Division Chief Forest and Woodland Management, Bureau of Land Management (WO 270), 1849 C St., N.W, 204 LS, Washington, District of Columbia 20240 Phone: (202)452-0316

Web Site Address

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/forests_and_woodland.html.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Stewardship projects that removed vegetation to promote healthy forest stands and reduced fire hazards. Projects that promoted an integrated approach that included local community participation in developing strategies for biomass utilization, recognizing the connections beetween biomass utilization and forest restoration, and encouraged sustainable development through a variety of enterprises at different and appropriate scales. Projects that cooperatively supported common goals and interests in managing, developing and protecting federal and private land and water resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

General criteria used to select assistance proposals are based on their direct relationship to Federal lands and a balanced review including relevance to program objectives, merit and cost effectiveness.